Robert Lee Burnside was born on November 23, 1926 in Harmontown, Mississippi and grew up in Holly Springs. He was a blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist who played music for the majority of his life but did not receive much attention until the early 1990s.
Burnside worked as a commercial fisherman by day, and played guitar in local bars by night.
Burnside moved to Chicago in 1944, however tragedy struck over the course of one year when his father, two brothers, and uncle were all murdered in the city.
After hearing John Lee Hooker sing “Boogie Chillen,” in 1948, Burnside was forever changed and began to take his guitar seriously. Burnside took music lessons from Fred McDowell, and ... Continue Bio >>